Sorrow of the Falling Sun
by ObsidianJoker
Summary: He was gone. That phrase kept playing in Orihime's mind over and over. The green eyes that she had grown to love would never look at her again. Ashes slipped through her fingers as Ulquiorra disappeared. Ulquihime
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of its characters nor do I make any money off them. They belong to TK-sensei

Warning: Slight Spoilers From Vol. 40 of Bleach, don't like don't read.

* * *

Orihime was frozen with fright. She wasn't scarred really for herself but for the two figures in front of her battling it out to the death. She knew that the fight could not stop until one of them fell dead. They moved swiftly in blurs of white and black. Eventually they broke through the dome and into the night sky. Swords still clashing with each other. Kurosaki-kun…no it's just Kurosaki now came all this was to rescue her. He was now clashing swords with the Cuatra Espada fore her sake. The only problem was that Orihime doesn't know if she wants to be rescued anymore.

'_No…'_

'_I don't want to be saved'_

'_I'm not as weak as you think' _

'_I–I want…I want to stay with Ulquiorra-san!'_

Ishida was trying to pull her away from the battle somewhere safer. Orihime didn't let him. She was going to stay here. She didn't want to run away any more. What should I do? Kurosaki was lying on the floor a gaping hole where his chest should be. A pool of crimson blood was slowly forming around him. Orihime saw Ulquiorra-san puncture Kurosaki's chest but she still couldn't bring myself to hate him. I know I should but I just can't. What should I do? My powers aren't working. He's not healing. Even if I don't want to leave, I still want to help him he's my friend. Why can't I be any more helpful? What should I do?

What should I do?

What should I do?

What should I do!

What should I do!

What should I do!

WHAT SHOULD I DO!?!?

_Memories of her time at Hueco Mundo scattered across her mind.  
_

_

* * *

_

The Moon. It loomed proudly over Hueco Mundo illuminating the barren desert like waste land below. Standing directly on top of the white castle known as Las Noches high in the inky sky, being watched by a pair of orange eyes.

"How come nothing ever grows here?"

Ulquiorra turned his head to the red headed woman by the window. He could no longer recall how long it has been since he brought her to Las Noches under Azein-sama's orders, yet he still wondered what Azein was planning to do with the human, not that he cared. But he is curious as to how something a fragile as a human could be of any add to them.

"What?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I said how come nothing grows here, all I see is a bunch of sand and a dead tree here and there…why are there no living plants here?" She said still watching the moon. "….there's not even one tiny flower here…" She mumbled quietly.

Why in the world would the woman ask such a stupid ironic question? Why would any thing grow in such a place? This was a place for the dead, the hopeless, the lost souls that made the mistake of entering this world, only the strong and the wicked survived here. Why would something as weak as a flower grow in a place plagued with sin? Why would it want to be tainted it would no longer be pure…it would be rotten. It would be trash.

Ulquiorra looked at Orihime his expression neutral and emotionless as ever. He carefully selected his words then parted his black and white lips and spoke.

"Why should it be any of your concern if or if not a flower grows here, no one has time or cares if there is plant life in Hueco Mundo, everything has been dead here for as long as any one remembers its always been this way. This is a world has been long dead."

Orihime looked away from the moon. It was truly sad she thought. Why couldn't too entirely different forces find peace and co-exist with each other in a balance. She wonder why the world had to be so cruel, why couldn't black and white mix together and form an even gray… oh look she was rambling to herself again she seemed to be doing that often. She guessed with so little to do it gave ones self the time to think perhaps think a bit too much. _'Come on!'_ She thought, _'What happened to that cheerful always looks on the bright side part of me. I got to snap outta of it. I got to live life with a smile and look on the bright side! That's my motto! Maybe they'll let me into the kitchen one of these days and I can cook them my famous Onion Butter Banana Gelatin!'_ Orihime concluded with her fist raised looking determinedly off into the distance.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at this but said nothing. They fell into a comfortable silence. It wasn't awkward or tense but somewhat peaceful. Despite his cold uncaring ruthless personality, Orihime felt some how safe when she was near the Espada. They had developed a sort of friendship (well in Orihime's view they had) but it was still some sort of relationship. Uquiorra had come to enjoy the woman's presence though he will never admit this to anyone.

* * *

Ulquiorra was standing in a clearing in the middle of a forest. Crimson was spattered everywhere as well as the dismembered bodies of the dead Shinigami. The trees swayed in the breeze, as if unsettled by the scene below. It was a rather simple mission that he had been assigned. Azien-sama planned to diminish the Shinigami's numbers slowly. He had already stationed a Menos Grande to attract them. Once the Menos had their attention it only took a few seconds before a dozen Shinigami fell to the ground.

In a way it was a rather pointless mission. Ulquiorrra turned hand raised to summon the portal to Hueco Mundo when something caught his attention. He walked over to the object and picked it up. With that he turned and left the clearing.

* * *

Orihime sat on the couch in her chamber finishing up her dinner that Grimmjow had brought her. It was usually Ulquiorra's job but according to Grimmjow he was away on a mission and didn't know when "The Bastard" would return. Despite being aggressive, mean, bad mouthed and temperamental, Grimmjow was ironically good company. No one really ever bothered to come to her room unless ordered to. But Grimmjow was very interesting person.

"Oi. What are you starring at?"

Orihime snapped out of her thoughts, attention towards a ticked off Grimmjow, mumbling a non intelligent "Eh?" He was currently sitting legs crisscrossed on the ledge of the window. He was preoccupying himself by drumming his fingers. "Didn't you hear me human, I said what are you starring at?" He was never good at small talk, it was starting to get awkward in here. He wished the human could finish the food already so he could get the hell outta here.

Orihime felt heat rushing to her cheeks. Oops. She had been caught, she couldn't help but stare. She found it to be very interesting. Looking down she quietly said."Um…well you see…your it's…"

"What is there something on my face- God I swear if Nnoitra messed with-"

"No it's not that…well not exactly"

"Geez! Out with it woman!"

"It's your hair!" She squeaked. Silence filled the room. Grimmjow stared at her oddly. "Yeah. And?" He responded finally. "It's blue." Orihime stated. "So?"

"It looks like a blueberry!"

"……"

"Well…it does"

"WHAT THE HELL!" Grimmjow shouted. "DAMMIT! THAT'S IT I'M OUTTA HERE" He made way for the door grabbing Orihime's finished plate and closed the door with a 'Slam!' Orihime starred at the door for awhile. Grimmjow's disappearing voice could be heard asking. "Oi! You! Does this look like a Blueberry to you! Well Huh?"

Orihime couldn't help but giggle.

Sometime later that night

Ulquiorra could be seen walking towards Orihime's chambers. He already finished reporting the success of his disposing of the trash Shinigami. But he still had to drop off something.

* * *

Orihime yawned slightly. She had woken up with a blanket covering her, but couldn't remember where it came from. She stretched a little and looked around. On the table was today's breakfast with a little note attached to it that said, 'Eat Woman.' She smiled a little at the note then proceeded to eat breakfast. When she was done she noticed something that didn't belong in the room. A white iris was sitting on one of the dressers in the room. She picked the flower up admiring its beauty. It had delicate white petals that faded to a lavender color at the bottom of the plant. The petals were soft and smooth to the touch. 'It's really pretty' she thought. Orihime frowned a bit. 'But how did it get here.' It took her a few minutes to put two and two together.

Orihime blushed. She held the iris close to her.

* * *

Ulquiorra came to pick up his woman's breakfast...the woman's breakfast. He took the dishes from the table, put them on a cart while the kitchen staff(if you could call them that) took it away. He watched the woman. She appeared to be in deep thought. He noticed that she had these little habits that she did depending on what she was feeling. When she was nervous she would fiddle with her hands. when she was sad she would smile but it never reached her eyes. She would constantly check to see if her hair pins were still there. If they were messed up she would fix them. He wondered if she was afraid of losing her only source of power or if it held some sort of memory for her. He would never understand why humans would grow so attached to things only to have it ripped from their grasp. When she was in deep thought she would chew her bottom lip with a dazed expression on her face. That was the face he was seeing now. Having decided that he spent enough time there, Ulquiorra tuned to leave. He was a foot from the door. When he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned to look at Orihime when he felt something soft brush his cheek. "Thank you for the flower!" She blurted. Ulquiorra touched his the spot on his cheek where Orihime had kissed him.

Ulquiorra didn't know what to make of this. What was that? After a moment of thought he concluded that it was a sign of thanks. She looked down shyly a light blush on her face. 'I hope I didn't make a mistake' she thought. 'Please let me be right.' What Ulquiorra did next surprised even himself. He gently titled Orihime's chin so she was looking him strait in the eyes. Then he bent down to repeat her action. Whispering in her ear "Welcome." Orihime touched the spot where he had kissed her cheek. Her skin tingled where his lips that touched her.

She looked into his emotionless face and noticed he was not as stiff as usual. Orihime smiled.

* * *

The iris flower stayed in her room. It was a small memento of the world she loved. The iris stayed there till the end of its days. When it wilted an new one was there the next day to take its place. It was as if once it withered it would be reborn a new. So for each iris that died Ulquiorra would replace it with an even more beautiful one. It was a symbol of their friendship and bond. It was everlasting.

This continued for the rest of her time there.

* * *

Orihime watched the end of the battle with glazed eyes.

Ichigo had cut off Ulquiorra's left arm and leg when he went into berserk mode. He transformed in to a monster with two proud horns coming out of the crown of the mask.

It was ironic how he became something he swore to destroy.

A hollow.

* * *

"...I'm finally starting to find you guys a little interesting."

_His wing is disappearing._

"...Are you scared of me girl?"

Orihime swallowed the lump in her throat.

_I can reach his hand. Please let me reach it. Don't take it away._

"I'm not scarred''

_Almost there. If I grab his hand everything will be fine. Don't go._

_Ash._

Her hand closed on ash. She felt it slip through the gaps of her fingers. First his arm. Then Ulquiorra disintegrated into ashes. She would never forget the face he made. Orihime still had her had reached out to grab his but now it never will. He was gone. Ulquiorra was gone. No more iris exchanges. No more conversations where Orihime did most of the talking while he listened. No more time spent together in her chambers. No more comfortable silence that would fall between them. No more emerald green eyes that she grew to love so much. No more Ulquiorra. He was gone. He was never coming back. That one sentence was running a thousand times in her mind. He was gone. She stared at the ground on her knees. She had no memory of ever falling to them. Her mind did not really register much of anything except the ash on the floor in front of her. Kurosaki had left and while ago but not with out mumbling to Ishida. She barely paid attention to them. She caught something along the lines of 'Take care of her.' Then Kurosaki left. Ishida stood there awkwardly a few feet away not knowing what to do. She could care less. All she thought about was that figure and that hand that turned to ash and slipped through her fingers.

Her mind didn't register how much time had passed. Ishida told her he needed to check on something. Orihime turned to him with dead eyes. She didn't respond to him. When he left she notice how awkward he was acting. He really didn't know what to do. There was nothing he could do. Orihime felt something brush her hand. She looked down and her eyes widened.

An iris. It was surrounded by ash. A white iris just like the ones Ulquiorra used to give her. The pedals white like the color of snow fading into a soft lavender. She felt a stinging in her eyes. She remembered this morning the iris on the table had wilted. He still remembered. She starred at the flower. The ash had started to move and take shape. Forming a simple three word phrase. Orihime started crying. She hugged herself a hand over her mouth to muffle her sobbing.

Just below the iris written in ash were the words-

_'I Love You'_

I held a crystal in my hand,  
So perfect and sparklingly clear...  
With a sweep of a hand  
Broken, shattered into pieces...

I held a diamond in my hand,  
A perfect cut,  
So beautiful...  
In an instant, snatched away...

I held a iris in my hand,  
With petals so delicate and fragrance so sweet...  
Days passed, its petals turned brown  
One by one, they fell to the ground...

Life is consistently inconsistent,  
Nothing definite...  
With a snap of a finger, everything stops  
In a blink of an eye, everything's gone.

Orihime cried clutching the flower. Her last gift from Ulquiorra. As the message faded with the wind.

* * *

Well this is my first story.

I think Ulquihime is adorable so I thought I'd give it a try. I hope none of the characters are OOC.

I tried my best to make it good. This is really more of an experiment to test my writing.I want to see what I can do and how to improve it. The poem is not mine. I replaced the word rose with the word iris to fit the story better but I do not own the poem. Here is the website for the poem: Heartfeltpoetry . com Once again it is NOT mine.

Well Thank You for reading. Here's a cookie.

Critique, reviews,suggestions on ways to improve would be helpful anything really. I wanna know what you guys think.

~Joker


	2. Author Note

Hello! It's me Joker.

I'm putting this note here because I've been thinking about writing a sequel to this story for some time now and I would like to know how many of you would take the time to read it. So what do you think? Does a squeal sound like a good Idea or should I leave it as is.

If you guys could tell me what you think I would really appreciate it.

Thank You for taking the time to read this note.

:D


End file.
